I. 1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the use of infrared and/or radio frequencies to stream digital data to portable devices in a mass audience or in designated broadcast area.
II. 2. Description of the Background Art
There are several circumstances which may interfere with a person's ability to hear, and thereby interfere with the presentation of information to the listener. For example, persons with hearing loss may miss narratives, sound effects, music and other sound material related to the presentation, and messages in live performances, films, television and special events. Persons who do not speak the language or languages used in the presentation may miss narratives and other related messages that are presented. The language barrier prevents many people from different cultures and languages from understanding, participating or interacting with the information being presented. Background environmental noise may also affect a person's ability to hear, and thereby diminish the effect of the presentation. Additionally, presentations often could be made more effective if they included a method to provide interactivity between the audience and the presenter(s).
Captioning systems have been used in many venues including museums, theaters and other auditoriums to provide foreign language translation or captioning for the hearing impaired. These systems are either 1) “open captioning” on a projected surface or large adjacent display area where the entire audience can see the captioning; 2) reflective captioning using a transparent but reflective panel to display the text from a rear projection while allowing the viewer to see the display or performance through the panel; or, 3) hard-wired displays in the back of the seat in front of the viewer.
Wireless streaming systems also exist. These consist of modulated analog and digitized audio broadcasting systems such as assistive listening systems and wireless headphones. Also short-range (often 1 meter or less) digital transceivers are typically used to exchange data between computers or between computers and peripherals. These systems do not synchronize multiple units.